What an amazing start to the year it has been! I want to commend all of our PTAs on the incredible work that is being done on our campuses and in our community. From back to school support, fall family engagement events, and a plethora of student enrichment activities to providing volunteer support, you all are rocking the PTA mission to make every student's potential a reality. The beginning of the year is such a busy time for all PTAs and we want to thank you for all you do! The work you do matters and has a ripple effect throughout the community. As we move into the fall months, I encourage everyone to find ways to strengthen relationships within your school community. What small steps can you take to make someone feel more connected? Who's voice may be missing from PTA? What opportunities are there for families to be a part of the school? You can find inspiration and connections as a PTA leader in the groups linked below. We can't wait to see what other amazing things you do next! 

Theresa 

Want to Strengthen Your Campus? Participate in the School of Excellence Program!

Enrollment in the National PTA's School of Excellence program closes on October 15. Participating PTAs use feedback from families and staff to identify a standard for family-school partnerships to focus on. Working as a team, PTA volunteers and school leaders develop and implement an action plan and then measure and celebrate their progress. This is a great way to take a deeper look at what’s working on your campus and where there may be opportunities for improvement, with guidance and resources provided by National PTA. A big cheer for the four PTAs that have already enrolled: Cheatham PTA, Preston PTA, Vaughan PTA, and Bolin PTA!  

Texas PTA updated the Confidentiality, Ethics, and Conflict of Interest Agreement this year to include guidance around AI. All PTAs agree to abide by the following AI Use and Responsibility Standards: -safeguard confidential and personal information, by not entering it into AI tools, and -review AI-generated content before using or sharing such content on behalf of the PTA.  

In addition, Council cautions local PTAs against using AI to answer PTA procedure related questions, to prevent misinformation. Your bylaws, standing rules, and the resource guides provided by Texas PTA are usually a great place to get information. If you still need clarity, your counterpart on Council is happy to help. 

Allen ISD Council of PTAs recently welcomed the 2026–2027 cohorts of its Lead Lab on September 22, 2026. This marked the first of six meeting series designed to give PTA leaders, new or ready to take the next step, a deeper understanding of how Texas PTA, Council PTA and Local PTAs work together to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. 

The first session took place at the Allen ISD Service Center where President, Theresa Ginsburg led a comprehensive overview of all three PTAs.  

Participants heard from Dr. Shannon Ivey, Principal at Olson Elementary, about the importance of building positive relationships between your school and PTA.  

The session ended with Q&A and group discussions.  

We currently have 17 Platinum & 3 Gold Angel Members of the Allen ISD Council of PTAs 

Want to support Allen PTAs in a BIG Way? You too, can become an Angel Member and join multiple PTAs in one easy form. 

The following Local PTAs earned the Head Start Award, achieving membership of more than 85% of the previous school year by August 31. 

Upcoming Award Opportunities from Texas PTA include: 

Snappy Increase (due Oct. 31) 

Shining Star (Nov. 30) 

Golden Apple (Dec 19)  

Save the Date

The Allen ISD Council of PTAs Life Member Recognition Banquet will be on Thursday April 15, 2027 at 6 pm in the Allen High School PAC.  More details to come later regarding the Award Submission and ticket purchase process.   

MAINTAIN GOOD STANDING: Treasurers must submit their 2025–2026 IRS Form 990 (990-N, 990-EZ, or 990) by November 1st to stay in Good Standing with Texas PTA and remain eligible for awards and recognition. (Tip: When filing 990-N via Login.gov or ID.me, choose "Exempt Organization". Save the official "ACCEPTED" screen for your permanent records.) 

TAXES: Submit Quarterly Sales Tax Returns (Due Oct 20) ***You must file even if you had $0 in taxable sales.*** 

PRESENT TRANSPARENT FINANCIAL REPORTS: Provide a written financial statement at every board and membership meeting.  

Reports must include: 

-Exact date range (from last meeting to current meeting) 

-Opening cash balance (matching the previous report’s ending balance). 

-Detailed income and expenses 

-Ending cash balance *plus* sales tax and dues liabilities. 

-Check out the resource guide pages 32-35 here

BUDGET AMENDMENTS: If spending will go over budget or income shifts significantly from projections, present a formal budget amendment for a membership vote before spending the funds. (Reference guide pages 19-21 and 35 at link above) PAYMENT 

PROCESSORS: If your PTA plans to use any new payment processing systems, remember you must get membership approval prior to usage.  

FRAUD: Scammers are becoming more and more savvy when requesting funds from PTAs via email. They know the language, they know your name, and they know your president's name. FOLLOW YOUR FUNDS REQUEST PROCESS! You will avoid losing precious PTA money this way as long as you always follow the process.  

Save the date for Texas PTA's Rally Day on Monday, Feb. 22, 2027! Council will be reaching out to the high school and middle school PTAs soon to start planning our trip to Austin.  

Important 2026 Election Dates: 

Oct. 5 - Last day to register to vote 

Oct. 19 - First day of early voting in person 

Oct. 23 - Last day for an early voting clerk to receive an application for a ballot by mail 

Oct. 30 - Last day of early voting in person 

Nov. 3 - General Election Day 

Visit the Advocacy "Resources" tab on the Allen ISD Council of PTAs website, to find helpful information to share with your PTA members and school communities. 

Used Book Fair will be April 15-26, 2027, with actual sale being April, 22-24th.  

It is time to gather contacts for Used Book Fair! All PTAs, please send in your contact this year for the Used Book Fair. We will work with this contact to provide all information about the Used Book Fair 2027 and coordinate during book collection and sale. 

Changes to the Used Book Fair: 

-We no longer have our title sponsor of RBFCU - please contact bookfair@allenisdcouncilpta.org if you or someone you know would be a title sponsor. 

-Other Book Fair sponsor levels are the Book Benefactor for $750 and table sponsor for $150. 

-Volunteer Hours have been reduced to 4 hours, but one hour is required at the sale. Each year we struggle to get the appropriate amount of adult volunteers during the sale - we hope this will alleviate this issue.  

Allen ISD Council of PTAs Citizenship Awards are given out to teachers, staff, parents, and community volunteers who give their valued time and effort to support our schools. These individuals are nominated by local PTAs because they go above and beyond what is expected and make a difference for our children. 

2026-2027 Allen ISD Council of PTAs Citizenship Awards submissions schedule:  

Thank you to our sponsors - EPI and GiftCrowd